Gas Mileage
-
In the past 15 years, the city of San Francisco has doubled the numbers of taxi cabs on its streets, up from 750 vehicles in 1997 to 1,500 this year. But thanks to incentives designed to get taxi operators behind the wheel of greener cars, 92 percent of San Francisco’s taxi fleet are either hybrids or cars run on compressed natural gas. The result ? A reduction in San Francisco’s taxi fleet fuel consumption of 2.9 million gallons per year -- about half of what it was in 1997. The Taxi Commission In 1997, San Francisco founded a Taxi Commission, and placed taxi driver Paul...
-
2012 Honda Civic Hybrid: Hammer It, How High Is Gas Mileage?Honda has managed to raise the gas mileage ratings on all of its new 2012 Civic models, including the 2012 Civic Hybrid, which is rated at a combined 44 mpg. In a road test over several days last May, we managed to get a real-world 45.3 mpg over a route that was about two-thirds highway, one-thirds...
John Voelcker -
2012 Toyota Prius C So Popular In Japan, Toyota Ups ProductionToyota’s all-new compact hybrid -- the 2012 Prius C -- isn’t due to go on sale for another few months, but that hasn’t stopped it from being an instant hit in its native Japan. Known as the 2012 Toyota Aqua in Japan, the gas-sipping hybrid has proved so popular that Toyota has...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Is The 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Really Green, Or Not?Just ten years ago, cars like the 2002 Toyota Prius traded performance for unbelievably-high gas mileage, bringing the concept of eco-friendly gasoline electric hybrid cars to the masses. Recently however, automakers like BMW have used full hybrid technology to give high performance luxury cars...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe, GT: More High-MPG Compact ModelsYesterday, Hyundai threw one of the better-attended press events at the Chicago Auto Show, launching two new models to expand its successful Elantra compact lineup. We've already shown you live photos of the 2013 Elantra Coupe and 2013 Elantra GT five-door hatchback, shot as the cars were revealed...
John Voelcker -
2013 Acura ILX Hybrid Expected To Reach 38 MPG HighwayThe 2013 Acura ILX will be the company's first entry into the compact sedan market since the Integra, but of most interest to GreenCarReports readers is the hybrid version. Previewed in concept form at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the production ILX, Acura's first ever hybrid model, will make its...
Antony Ingram -
In four years’ time, every automaker in the U.S. will have to ensure that their fleet-wide fuel economy is 36 mpg or better under tough new 2016 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. But according to a University of Michigan study, the average fuel economy of new cars and light-duty trucks sold in the U.S. has only risen by 3 MPG in the past four years to an average economy of 21.5 mpg. Comparing the fuel economy of cars and light-duty vehicles on sale in 2008 to those on sale in 2012, the study concluded that some vehicle segments exhibited a better average gas mileage...
-
Nissan Invitation Concept Is Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta CompetitorAlthough Nissan already has a subcompact, fuel efficient hatchback in the U.S. market in the form of the 2012 Versa hatchback, the Japanese automaker has just released details on an inviting new subcompact concept car it plans to unveil at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Called the Nissan Invitation...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Hyundai Elantra, 2012 Ford Focus SFE Get 40 MPG Real-World, Says Popular MechanicsIn December last year, a consumer watchdog petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency EPA to re-test the gas mileage of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra amidst complaints from owners that it did not achieve anywhere near its advertised 40 mpg in real life. But can cars listed as getting 40 mpg or...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
How Does The 2013 Dodge Dart Get 40 MPG? It's The TransmissionWhen the covers came off the 2013 Dodge Dart at last month's Detroit Auto Show, the new compact sedan got high marks for style, interior design, and putting Chrysler back in the car game. The Dart lineup will also include a model that gets 40 mpg on the EPA highway cycle, but so far Dodge has been...
John Voelcker -
$1 Billion For 100-MPG Mid-Size Gasoline Car? Bill Proposes Federal Cash PrizeSome Republicans aren't fans of plug-in cars. That much was clear from the official hearing of the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform into the NHTSA’s conduct during its investigation into Chevrolet Volt battery safety. Now Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA) has introduced a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Volkswagen Beetle TDI Clean Diesel Due At Chicago Auto ShowIt's been six years since the last Volkswagen Beetle TDI was on sale in North America, but Volkswagen has now announced a brand new model. Due to be launched at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI is set to combine retro style with modern-day gas mileage. VW is predicting...
Antony Ingram -
If you buy a new car but can’t get anywhere near the gas mileage the automaker says you should, can you sue them for misleading you? For Heather Peters -- former attorney and owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid -- the answer is a resounding yes. At the Torrance Small Claims Court in California yesterday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnaham ruled that Honda had misled Peters into believing her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid could achieve a gas mileage of 50 mpg. In reality, Peters claimed her car “never got more than 41 or 42 [mpg] even on its very best...
-
2013 Smart ForTwo Facelift: Will It Help Sales?It's hard to believe, but the current Smart ForTwo has been soldiering on in the U.S. North American market for five years now. Mercedes-Benz offshoot Smart has never enjoyed much popularity in the U.S. The concept makes less sense than it does in its native Europe, where gas is more expensive and...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Toyota Prius Vs 2012 Toyota Camry: Economy Or Speed?If you've been following over the last few weeks, you'll have seen us pitch two cars from particular manufacturers against each other. While there are often clear differences between the models, the exercise highlights what someone in the market at a particular price point can expect, when...
Antony Ingram -
Are Diesel Cars Less Relevant Than Ever In The U.S?Spend time in any European city, and you'll quickly become used to two sounds. One, is the constant buzz from thousands of mopeds, by far the quickest way of navigating the tight streets. The other is the subdued rattle of diesel engines. While Europe has wholeheartedly embraced diesels, they've...
Antony Ingram -
Variations On Cheaper Hybrid Tech To Help MPG, EfficiencyThe market for gasoline-electric hybrids and electric cars is expected to grow over the next few years, but they aren't the only energy-efficient vehicles expected to become more popular. Also looking at an increase in popularity are micro-hybrids and mild hybrids, according to a Lux Research...
Antony Ingram -
Ford's 1.0-Liter EcoBoost: Focus For Europe, Fiesta For U.S.Ford launched the latest engine in its expanding EcoBoost family at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, back in September. At only one-liter in capacity, it's the smallest EcoBoost yet, and continues the downsizing trend seen with the other EcoBoost units. Ford of Europe has now confirmed that the engine...
Antony Ingram -
Ford’s continuing drive towards smaller capacity, direct-injected, turbocharged, fuel efficient engines continued today as it announced yet more Ford cars and trucks will get EcoBoost engine options during 2012. Moreover, Ford claims that by the end of the year, nine of its production vehicles will achieve gas mileages greater than 40 mpg, putting it well on the way to achieving the 2016 Corporate Average Fuel Economy target of 36 mpg. Big And Small Ford’s expanded production of EcoBoost vehicles -- expected to reach 384,000 in 2012 from just under 128,000 in 2011-- won’t...
-
2012 Honda Fit Vs 2012 Honda Insight Hybrid: High Gas Mileage BattleIf you're in the market for a fuel efficient vehicle your choice is better than ever. Virtually every manufacturer now offers a high-mpg vehicle, but Honda could lay claim to being one of the first. Since the Civic arrived back in the 1970s, the Japanese carmaker has made fuel economy a high...
Antony Ingram -
New Mileage Rules Encourage Small Cars To Become Big Trucks For Lower MPGAutomakers have long known there's a double standard for gas mileage. Cars have to meet higher goals, trucks have less stringent requirements. And the larger the vehicle, the lower the average fuel economy it has to deliver. The proposed fuel economy standards for 2017 through 2025 vehicles...
John Voelcker -
To Idle Or Not To Idle? What's Best For Car, Gas Mileage?There are two kinds of traffic, neither of which is particularly pleasant. The first is moving traffic. It's slow, tedious, and something many of us are unable to avoid on our daily commutes. Movement is movement though, which makes stationary traffic a hundred times worse. Not only are you not...
Antony Ingram -
What Would You Pay For A 100-MPG Via Full-Size Pickup Truck?This is a perfectly serious question. A basic 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 full-size pickup truck starts around $23,000, and the rear-wheel drive XFE model is rated by the EPA at 18 mpg combined. The Silverado Hybrid model, a 1500 twin-cab, starts at around $40,000, and the RWD model is rated at...
John Voelcker -
Car Dealers Fight Higher MPG Rules, Again, Over AffordabilityYou'd think that if President Obama, two government agencies, and 13 of the world's largest carmakers supported a set of new regulations to improve gas mileage, they might be popular with auto dealers too. Not so. At a Tuesday public hearing on the proposed joint NHTSA-EPA standards for fuel...
John Voelcker